Daily WHUFC News - 24th May 2012

Reid ready for Premier League return
WHUFC.com
New Zealand defender Winston Reid cannot wait to play in the Barclays
Premier League again
23.05.2012

Winston Reid was ecstatic after West Ham United booked their place back in
the Barclays Premier League with a 2-1 npower Championship Play-Off final
win over Blackpool at Wembley on Saturday. The New Zealand international was
overcome with emotion as he told West Ham TV how much the victory and a
return to the top-flight meant to him. Reid endured a tough time in his
first year in east London but is determined to take the Premier League by
storm second time around.
"We have been under pressure all year and to finally get promotion it's
amazing," said the 23-year-old. "Saturday was for the fans - all season they
have been amazing and they deserve to be in the Premier League and we have
pulled it off." "It's been a tough, long year with so many games and I'm
really looking forward to next year now."

Reid has enjoyed a fantastic second campaign with the Hammers, making 33
appearances and scoring important goals against Nottingham Forest and
Leicester City and an unforgettable winner in the 2-1 home league win over
Millwall in February. The centre-back is now being earmarked for a place in
his country's squad for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Having starred for
the All Whites at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Reid could be
involved when the Kiwis face Brazil, Egypt and Belarus in Group C.

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Six players depart
WHUFC.com
Six senior professionals will leave West Ham United next month at the expiry
of their contracts
23.05.2012

Julien Faubert, Abdoulaye Faye, Papa Bouba Diop, John Carew, Frank Nouble
and Olly Lee will all leave West Ham United when their current contracts end
on 30 June. The six professionals have all played their part in a successful
2012/13 season which saw the Hammers gain promotion back to the Barclays
Premier League.
Faubert, who will end a five-year association with the Club, featured as a
substitute in the 2-1 npower Championship Play-Off final victory over
Blackpool at Wembley, while Faye, Diop, Carew and Nouble combined to make 67
league appearances and score four goals between them this term. France
international Faubert joined West Ham from Girondins de Bordeaux in July
2007, totalled 121 appearances for the Club, scoring twice. His final game
in a claret and blue shirt saw the 28-year-old feature as a replacement
right-back in Saturday's victory at the Home of Football. Faye, Diop and
Carew all moved to the Boleyn Ground in summer 2011. Senegal defender Faye
made 29 league appearances, 25 of them starts, and added valuable experience
to the back four, while fellow countryman Diop tasted defeat just three
times in 16 league matches. Norway international striker Carew scored twice
in 21 appearances in all competitions, netting in the 2-2 draw at Crystal
Palace and the 4-0 home win over Blackpool in October 2011.

Nouble bagged his maiden goal in West Ham colours in the New Year's Eve
defeat at Derby County - one of 19 appearances for the Hammers. He also
spent time on loan at Gillingham and Barnsley this season and has previously
been loaned to Swindon Town, Swansea City and Charlton Athletic. Young
professional Lee will also depart at the end of June after helping West Ham
to win the Plate competition at the Hong Kong FC Citibank International
Soccer Sevens at the weekend. The 20-year-old enjoyed loan spells at
Dagenham and Redbridge and Gillingham this season and was named on the
substitutes' bench by Sam Allardyce for the FA Cup with Budweiser
third-round tie at Sheffield Wednesday.

Henri Lansbury has returned to Arsenal following the end of a season-long
loan spell that saw him make 23 appearances and score on his debut in a 4-3
home league win over Peterborough United in September. Also leaving the
Boleyn Ground are scholars Sam Cowler, Lamar Hurley, David Wootton and Jake
Young. West Ham United would like to thank all of the aforementioned players
for their hard work and dedication and wish them luck in their future
careers. Meanwhile, professional contracts have been offered to first-year
pro Cristian Montano and second-year scholars Jake Larkins, Kenzer Lee and
Jack Powell. Young professionals Callum Driver and Eoin Wearen have already
put pen to paper on new one-year deals, while Declan Hunt has been offered a
third-year scholarship after injury curtailed his 2011/12 season.

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John Carew one of six to exit West Ham United
BBC.co.uk

John Carew heads a list of six players who will leave West Ham in the summer
following the club's promotion back to the Premier League. Norway striker
Carew had spells in the top flight with Aston Villa and Stoke before joining
West Ham in August. However the 32-year-old struggled for games at Upton
Park and the club have decided not to offer him a new deal.

West Ham departures
John Carew (21 appearances)
Julien Faubert (121 appearances)
Abdoulaye Faye (29 appearances)
Papa Bouba Diop (16 appearances)
Frank Nouble (19 appearances)
Olly Lee (0 appearances)

Also leaving West Ham are Julien Faubert, Abdoulaye Faye, Papa Bouba Diop,
Frank Nouble and Olly Lee. Defender Faubert, 28, has spent the last five
seasons in east London after signing from Bordeaux in July 2007. The
Frenchman played 37 times for Sam Allardyce's side during their promotion
campaign, making his final appearance for the club when he came on as a
second-half substitute in the Championship Play-off final victory over
Blackpool. Defender Faye, 34, made 29 appearances but was third choice
centre-back behind James Tomkins and Winston Reid, while midfielder Diop,
34, rarely featured due to injury. Striker Nouble, 20, made 19 appearances
for the Hammers, while 20-year-old midfielder Lee did not feature for the
club's first team.

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Farewell, Faubert
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd May 2012
By: Staff Writer

Julien Faubert has failed to land a new contract at West Ham and is to be
released on a free transfer. The French midfielder, who cost West Ham
£6.1million when signing from Bordeaux in the summer of 2007 is one of six
players on West Ham's list of players to be released this summer. The flying
Frenchman - who insisted upon joining West Ham that he harboured hopes of
one day playing for Arsenal - endured an horrendous start to his career in
east London when he tore his Achilles in a pre-season friendly against Sigma
in Austria. After returning from injury in January 2008, he made his debut
in a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Boleyn Ground, his first of eight
appearances that season. But having failed to establish himself at the club
the following season he moved to Real Madrid on loan for the latter part of
the 2008/09 campaign, to the surprise of many - a deal that earned the
Hammers around £1million.

[Real's] description may leave some United supporters wondering if they are
talking about the same Julien Faubert who has failed to make an impression
at West Ham... - KUMB.com, 31st January 2009

Faubert's spell in Spain resulted in just two appearances - whilst he was
also caught falling asleep on the bench during one match against Villareal.
So it was no surprise when Real failed to make his loan spell permanent and
he was back in east London for the 2009/10 campaign during which he made 36
appearances.
It was during the same campaign that Faubert lost his mother but played for
West Ham just 48 hours later - a decision that earned him respect from the
supporters who had, on the whole, derided his input until that point. That
season proved to be his best in a claret and blue shirt and KUMB readers
voted Faubert runner-up Player of the Year and Most Improved player at the
end of the 2009/10 campaign. He was now considered by many to be something
of a cult hero on the terraces.

However as with several of his team mates, Faubert's form was to dip
dramatically the following year under the tutelage of Avram Grant and the
season ended in misery as the Hammers were relegated from the Premier
League. Thankfully those wrongs were righted in 2011/12 and the Frenchman
made 37 appearances - including a cameo role at Wembley in the play-off
Final - as West Ham returned to the top flight at the first attempt. The
other five senior players to be released by West Ham this summer are John
Carew, Abdoulaye Faye, Frank Nouble, Papa Bouba Diop and Academy graduate
Oliver Lee - whilst the on-loan Henri Lansbury returns to Arsenal.

Meanwhile scholars Sam Cowler, Lamar Hurley, David Wootton and Jake Young
have also been told they may leave the club.

Faubert at West Ham

2007/08: Pld 8, Bkd 1
2008/09: Pld 24, Bkd 3
2009/10: Pld 36, Gls 1, Bkd 6
2010/11: Pld 16, Bkd 2
2011/12: Pld 37, Gls 1, Bkd 7

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Pre-season dates confirmed: it's Germany
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd May 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United will warm up for the 2012/13 Premier League campaign with a
trip to Germany, it has been confirmed. Sam Allardyce's side will face 3
Liga outfit Rot-Weiß Erfurt at the Steigerwaldstadion on 25th July - and
that game is set to be followed by a fixture against Dymano Dresden, as
revealed here on KUMB yesterday, on either the 27th or 28th of the month
(although this is yet to be rubber-stamped). Rot-Weiß (aka Red-White) are a
relatively new football club having been formed from the amalgamation of two
former East German clubs, SC Turbine Erfurt and BSG Optima Erfurt in 1966.
However their roots as a sports club can be traced back to the end of the
1800s. The club's home ground, the Steigerwaldstadion - which comes
complete with a running track - was built in 1931 and has a capacity of just
under 20,000, hence there should be plenty of opportunity for travelling
supporters to obtain tickets for the friendly.

Rot-Weiß confired this morning that they will also play double-winners
Borussia Dortmund during pre-season. Chairman Rolf Rombach said: "These two
clubv will prove exceptionally attractive opponents." An old Germanic
settlement, Erfurt is the capital city of the German region of Thuringia
which is situated almost dead centre of the reunfied Germany. The club -
who finished fifth in last season's 3 Liga for the second successive season
- are currently managed by Stefan Emmerling, a former pro who spent his
career at lower league clubs such as SG Wattenscheid and Duisburg. Ticket
prices for the game are set to be announced shortly, according to Rot-Weiß's
website.

West Ham United pre-season programme

25th July: Rot-Weiß Erfurt (a)
27th/28th July: Dynamo Dresden (a)

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Reid excited by Premier League
New Zealand international praises Hammers fans for their support
Last Updated: May 23, 2012 12:18pm
SSN

West Ham defender Winston Reid is looking forward to Premier League football
after a dogged campaign in the Championship. The 23-year-old was part of the
Hammers side that sealed promotion to the top flight with a win over
Blackpool in the play-off final. It was just rewards for the New Zealand
international, who went through a transitional phase last term following his
arrival in east London.

Forward

"It's been a tough, long year with so many games and I'm really looking
forward to next year now," he told the club's official website. The Hammers
had been the bookmakers' favourites to claim automatic promotion and for
long periods of the campaign looked like they would achieve that goal.
However, a late slump in form allowed Reading and Southampton to claim the
automatic places, forcing Sam Allardyce's side to contest the lottery of the
play-offs.

Pressure

But Reid was full of praise for the way his team-mates dealt with the
pressure as they returned to the elite division of English football. "We
have been under pressure all year and to finally get promotion it's
amazing," he added. "Saturday was for the fans - all season they have been
amazing and they really deserve to be in the Premier League and we have
pulled it off."

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Henderson targets PL debut
Keeper feels he has improved since joining West Ham
By Chris Galea. Last Updated: May 23, 2012 5:32pm
SSN

West Ham goalkeeper Stephen Henderson has set his sights on earning a
first-team berth at the club next season after completing his permanent
switch from Portsmouth. The highly-rated shot-stopper joined the Hammers in
March on a loan deal until the end of the season, but failed to break into
the starting XI at Upton Park, with his path blocked by England
international Robert Green. However, after the former Republic of Ireland
Under 21 international signed a three-year deal with the Hammers on Monday,
he is again expecting tough competition for the No.1 jersey. "I have loved
every second since I came to the club," Henderson told Sky Sports.

Confidence

"Marge (Martyn Margetson) and Rob (Green) have been brilliant to work with
and I can't wait to come back in pre-season and show that I am capable of
playing at this level. "The manager (Sam Allardyce) gives the players the
confidence to go out and do the business and I am very proud to be a part of
such a huge club.
"I appreciate that I'm still young but I am very confident in my own ability
and come the start of the season I will be pushing as hard as I possibly can
to earn that spot." Having narrowly missed out on a place in the Republic of
Ireland squad for Euro 2012, Henderson hopes to play for his country at
senior level in the near future. He added: "Playing for Ireland even at
under-age level is a feeling you can't put into words, so to play for the
senior side is a huge ambition of mine and I will do whatever it takes to
break in next time."

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Six players depart West Ham
Faubert and Carew among those leaving Upton Park this summer
Last Updated: May 23, 2012 2:48pm
SSN

West Ham have released six senior players including Julien Faubert and John
Carew following the club's promotion to the Premier League. Faubert, who
joined the Hammers in 2007, and Carew, who signed last summer, will both
leave Upton Park when their contracts expire next month. Also released are
34-year-old Senegal internationals Abdoulaye Faye and Papa Bouba Diop as
well as Frank Nouble and Olly Lee, both 20. Faubert is the only one of the
six players to have been involved in the Hammers' 2-1 win over Blackpool at
Wembley on Saturday that clinched promotion back to the Premier League.
Carew and Diop have not started a game for West Ham since January, while
Faye's last match for the club was the 3-3 home draw against Birmingham in
April.

Statement

Nouble has spent much of the campaign out on loan at Gillingham and Barnsley
but did score in his only league start for the club this season at Derby on
New Year's Eve. A statement on West Ham's official club website read:
"Julien Faubert, Abdoulaye Faye, Papa Bouba Diop, John Carew, Frank Nouble
and Olly Lee will all leave West Ham when their current contracts end on 30
June. "The six professionals have all played their part in a successful
2011-12 season which saw the Hammers gain promotion back to the Barclays
Premier League." The statement went on to add: "West Ham would like to thank
all of the aforementioned players for their hard work and dedication and
wish them luck in their future careers." Henri Lansbury has also returned to
Arsenal after a season-long loan with the club.

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The Great West Ham Clearout Begins
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

West Ham annonced this morning that six players will be released when their
contracts end on 30 June. They are Julien Faubert, Abdoulaye Faye, Papa
Bouba Diop, John Carew, Frank Nouble and Olly Lee.

I have little doubt that if we hadn't been promoted Faye, Nouble and Diop
would have been retained, and perhaps Faubert would have been offered a new
deal. Let's look at them in turn.

Julien Faubert on his day could be a fantastic player, but we still don't
know whether he was really a right back or a right hand side midfielder. His
crosses could be belters or just plain awful. There's no doubt, he did have
some great games this season, but he seemed to go off the boil at just the
wrong time. But his value to the side was seen on Saturday in the Play-off
final when he really shored up a very suspect right hand side. We wish him
well.

Abdoulaye Faye had a great season but latterly he has been eclipsed by the
form of Winston Reid. He really is a man mountain and I am sure will do a
great job for a Championship side next season. He was never going to stay if
we go promoted, though. He has great positional instincts and I remember
some briliantly timed crunching tackles. Abdoulaye, we will miss you.

John Carew never really had a run. He scored a couple of early goals, and
was always difficult for opponents to play against. But he always looked a
little heavy and not quite fit. That was when he wasn't injured. Its
difficult to feel sad at his departure because we didn't really see much of
him. He only made 7 starts, scoring 2 goals.

Papa Bouba Diop is another man mountain who I was more impressed by than I
expected to be. He made 14 appearances, scoring 1 goal. He specialised in
playing the holding role in a 5 man midfield, and very effective he was too.
Of all the six, I thought he might be offered a new contract.

The other two players to be released are youth team graduates who never
quite made it into the first team. Frank Nouble looked to be quite an
exciting prospect, and has played well at Gillingham on loan, which is where
I suspect he will now be heading. Olly Lee has been out at Dagenham but it
appears he doesn't have what it takes to graduate to a higher level. They go
with our very best wishes for the future.

I suspect this is not the end ot the departures. I think Joey O'Brien and
Sam Baldock may well go, although in Baldock's case, I hope it is only on
loan. I'd also like to see us sell Gary O'Neil, but he does seem to be a
favourite of Sam Allardyce. We shall see.

* Apologies for the hideous amount of typos in the original post. I typed it
on my Blackberry.

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WEST HAM IN TUSSLE FOR JOSEPH AKPALA
Thursday May 24,2012
By Daily Express reporter

WEST HAM and West Brom are ready for a £2million battle for Joseph Akpala.
They face competition from Celtic for the 19-goal Club Brugge striker.

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Tony Cottee Column: We may have done it the hard way, but West Ham are back
where we belong
London24
Tony Cottee, West Ham Columnist
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
3:33 PM

Saturday was an incredible day for me as a West Ham fan and as a family man.
I was lucky enough to be able to take my twin sons who are 14 years old and
it was an amazing family day out. I brainwashed them into being Hammers fans
and for the past 14 years they must have been wondering why, but the look on
their faces when we scored and when we won the game were priceless to me. I
have been harping on all season about what a fantastic day out a play-off
final at Wembley would provide for the fans and I was thrilled with how it
all panned out. From the moment I got off the train at Liverpool Street
there was a sea of claret and blue.
The Metropolitan line to Wembley was buzzing and the walk down Wembley Way
is something that I will always remember. It was the day that I wanted and
the day that the fans deserved for their loyal support. I will be the first
to admit that we didn't play our best football on the day but the result was
all that mattered. The be all and end all is that we won the game and we are
now back in the Premier League. Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te got the
goals, but the England striker really stood out for me. Cole took his goal
really well and showed huge amounts of skill to control Matty Taylor's cross
at full pace before finishing confidently past Matt Gilks.
I am a big fan of Carlton and was so pleased that he proved to be our
dangerman on Saturday. It has since emerged that he took a 50 per cent wage
cut to remain at Upton Park following relegation and I think that says a lot
about him as a person. He chose to keep that detail to himself all season
and credit to him, he has won the fans over and I believe that he will once
again be an important player for us next season. Vaz Te on the other hand
was having one of his quieter games on Saturday, but he was there when it
mattered to score the goal that sent the Hammers up. He now has 12 goals
since his January and is looking like the best £500,000 that West Ham have
ever spent! For me, Saturday wasn't about the club, the manager, the staff
or the players, it was about the fans. I know that West Ham supporters all
over the world will remember the day for a long time to come. The only sour
note for me was seeing all the empty seats in the Blackpool end and whoever
sorted the ticket allocation needs to take a long, hard look at themselves.
I thought it was an absolute disgrace that there were 10,000 empty seats at
Wembley and that the total attendance was just 78,000 in a stadium that
holds 90,000. I was gutted for those West Ham fans that missed out on
getting tickets, and I am sure that we could have sold out the entire
stadium and still had a waiting list. But I won't dwell on that, we are back
in the Premier League. No team has a divine right to be in the top flight,
but I feel that our performances over the season have warranted promotion.
Everyone at the club was under pressure to deliver, that has been the case
since the beginning of the season, and we can all jointly breathe a huge
sigh of relief now that we have been promoted back to the promised land of
the Premier League. It feels great to be able to say that I support a
Premier League team again and I look forward to welcoming some of the
biggest sides in the top flight back to Upton Park again. I think there will
be an even bigger buzz around the place next season, and it is an exciting
time to support the Hammers.

Tony Cottee was talking to Nathaniel John

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